Parma man pleads guilty to drug charge

Chad A. Woods, 27, of Parma, Mo., pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to charges of distributing cocaine base.

Woods pleaded guilty to one felony count of aiding and abetting the distribution of cocaine base and a second count of distribution of five grams or more of cocaine base. He appeared before U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel in Cape Girardeau.

On June 21, 1999, Woods directed an undercover officer and confidential informant to pick up an "eight ball" of crack cocaine at a car wash in Parma. The officer and the informant met Woods and another individual at the car wash 10 minutes later. The officer paid $150 to the individual and retrieved the cocaine base from the console of the Mazda automobile used by Woods and his companion.

On June 23, 2000, a confidential informant purchased 5.36 grams of cocaine base from Woods for $250.

Woods now faces 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine on the first count and 40 years in prison and a $2 million fine on the second count. Sentencing was set for Jan. 6, 2003.